| Family 1. | TROPIC BIRDS. | Phaëthontidæ. | 2 species. |
| Family 2. | GANNETS. | Sulidæ. | 6 species. |
| Family 3. | DARTERS. | Anhingidæ. | 1 species. |
| Family 4. | CORMORANTS. | Phalacrocoracidæ. | 6 species, 5 subspecies. |
| Family 5. | PELICANS. | Pelecanidæ. | 3 species. |
| Family 6. | MAN-O'-WAR-BIRDS. | Fregatidæ. | 1 Species. |
The members of this Order agree in having all four toes connected by webs, but in other respects they differ widely in structure and, consequently, in habit. The young of all the Steganopodes are born naked, unlike the young of most of the other water birds, which, as a rule, are hatched covered with feathers and can swim or run about soon after birth. The nests of the Steganopodes are, of necessity, therefore, more complex structures than those of birds whose nests are merely incubators and not cradles as well.
Tropic Birds resemble the larger Terns, when in the air, but their wing strokes are more rapid. They usually nest in holes in the face of cliffs, and lay one whitish egg, marked with chocolate.
Gannets are true sea birds, but, as a rule, do not live very far from the land. When breeding, Gannets are usually associated in great numbers. Their nests, as a rule, are placed on the ground or on cliffs, and one or two chalky white eggs are laid. At this season the birds are exceedingly tame and in localities where they have not been much molested, one may walk about among the sitting birds without their taking flight. Gannets are powerful birds on the wing. Their vigorous wing strokes are interrupted at intervals by short sails. They feed on fish which they capture by diving from the air.
The Darters or Anhingas number four species, distributed throughout the tropical parts of the globe, only one species inhabiting America. This is generally called the Snakebird or Water Turkey in Florida, where it is a common species on the more isolated rivers and lakes. The name Snakebird is derived from the bird's habit of swimming with the body submerged, when the long, sinuous neck, appearing above the water, readily suggests a snake. At other times Snakebirds mount high in the air and sail about, like Hawks, in wide circles. They build a large, well-made nest in a bush or tree, generally over the water, and lay four bluish white, chalky eggs.
Cormorants nest in large colonies, generally on isolated islets, but sometimes in remote swamps. The nests are placed closely together on the ground, in bushes, and less frequently in trees, according to the nature of the bird's haunts.
Cormorants feed on fish which they catch by pursuing them under the water. They dive from the surface of the water like Ducks, or from a low perch, but not from the air, as do the Gannets.
Pelicans nest in colonies, generally on some small island, building their nests on the ground or in bushes, and laying two or three large, white, chalky eggs.
Brown Pelicans secure their food by plunging on it from the air, generally from about twenty feet above the water. The sides of the bill are then bowed outward, the opening widened, forming, with the pouch, an effective net in which fish, twelve and fourteen inches long, are captured.
White Pelicans, on the contrary, feed from the water, scooping up fishes as they swim. At times a flock of these birds may surround a school of small fish in shallow water and drive them shoreward, at the same time actively filling their pouches.
Young Pelicans are fed on fish which they take from the pouch of the parent bird by thrusting their bills and heads well into it and prodding actively about for the food to be found there. Young Cormorants secure their food in a similar manner.
Frigate Birds, of which only two species are known, have a greater expanse of wing in proportion to the weight of their body than any other bird. Their power of flight is consequently unexcelled and they may spend days in the air without tiring. Their feet are as weak as their wings are strong, and are of use only in perching.
The food of Frigate Birds consists chiefly of fish, which they catch from near the surface of the water, or rob from Gulls and Terns by pursuing them, forcing them to disgorge their prey, and catching it ere it reaches the water.
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112. Yellow-billed Tropic Bird (Phaëthon americanus). L. 30; T. 19. Ads. Bill yellow; no bars above; middle tail feathers lengthened. Yng. Above barred with black; middle tail feathers not lengthened. Range.—Tropical coasts; breeds in West Indies, Bahamas and Bermudas; casual in Florida; accidental in western New York and Nova Scotia. 113. Red-billed Tropic Bird (Phaëthon æthereus). L. 30; T. 20. Ads. Bill red; above barred with black; long middle tail feathers pure white. Range.—"Coasts of tropical America, north on the Pacific coast to Cape Colnett, Lower California; accidental on the Newfoundland Banks. Breeds on San Pedro Martir and other Islands in the Gulf of California." (A. O. U.) 117. Gannet (Sula bassana). L. 35. Ads. White; head and neck tinged with straw; primaries blackish. Yng. Grayish brown with white spots. Notes. A harsh gor-r-r-rok. Range.—North Atlantic; breeds, in America, only on Bird Rock and Bonaventure Islands, Gulf of St. Lawrence; winters off the coast, south to Florida. |
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114. Blue-faced Booby (Sula cyanops). L. 28. Ads. Body and lesser wing coverts white; central tail feathers whitish, others dark brown. Yng. Above plain dark grayish brown with some grayish streaks; below white; flanks streaked with grayish. Range.—Tropical seas; north in America to Lower California and Bahamas; casual in southern Florida. 114.1. Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii). L. 33. Ads. Head, neck, and underparts white, the first two streaked with grayish; back dusky brownish, tipped with whitish; legs and feet bright blue. (Goss.) Range:—Pacific coast of America, from Gulf of California to Galapagos and Chili. (Cat. B. M.) 115. Booby (Sula sula). L. 30. Ads. Breast and belly white; bill and feet yellow. Yng. Entirely brownish, lighter below; bill blackish; feet yellow. Notes. A harsh, guttural bork, hork. (Audubon). Range.—"Atlantic coasts of tropical and subtropical America, north to Georgia. Also, West Pacific and Indian Oceans." (A. O. U.) Accidental on Long Island. No United States breeding record. 115.1. Brewster Booby (Sula brewsteri). L. 30. Ads. Similar to No. 115, but head and neck paler, bill blue, feet greenish. Range,—"Coasts and Islands of the eastern south Pacific Ocean, north to Lower California; breeding as far north as Georges Island at the head of the Gulf of California." (A. O. U.) 116. Red-footed Booby (Sula piscator). L. 28. Feet reddish. Ads. White; head and nape straw color; primaries hoary grayish brown; tail white. Yng. Above sooty brown; head, neck, and lower parts light smoky gray. (Ridgw.) Range.—Tropical seas, except Pacific coast of America (Cat. B. M.); north in Atlantic to Bahamas and, rarely, southern Florida. |
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119. Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo). L. 36; T. 7.5, of 14 feathers. Ads. Chin and sides of throat whitish; back glossy brownish, distinctly margined with black; below uniform shining black. Breeding plumage. Head and throat with white plumes; a white patch on flanks. Yng. Belly white; above olive grayish brown, margined with black; throat whitish; neck brownish. Range.—North Atlantic; breeds from Nova Scotia to Greenland; winters south to Carolinas. 120. Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax dilophus). L. 30; W. 12.5; T. 6.2, of 12 feathers. Ads. Back brownish with distinct black margins; below shining black. Breeding plumage. With tufts on either side of head black, sometimes mixed with white; throat pouch orange. Yng. Back browner; head, neck, and lower belly brown; breast whitish. Range.—Eastern North America; breeds locally from Bay of Fundy, Minnesota, North Dakota, northward; west to Assiniboia; winters from southern Illinois and Virginia southward. 120a. Florida Cormorant (P. d. floridanus). Similar to No. 120, but blacker and smaller. L. 25. Range.—South Atlantic and Gulf States; breeds north to North Carolina and southern Illinois. 120b. White-crested Cormorant (P. d. cincinatus). Similar to No. 120, but larger, L. 36; nuptial crests white. Range.—Pacific coasts; breeds in Alaska; winters south to California. 120c. Farallone Cormorant (P. d. albociliatus). Similar to 120b., but smaller, L. 28. Range.—Breeds on California coast and in interior, south to Socorro Island. (Ridgw.) 121. Mexican Cormorant (Phalacrocorax mexicanus). L. 25. W. 10. Ads. Narrow border at base of pouch white. Breeding plumage. Neck with white plumes. Yng. Head and hindneck brownish; back grayish, margined with black; throat, foreneck and breast brownish white; belly black. Range.—Breeds In West Indies and Central America to west Gulf States; north in summer rarely to Kansas and southern Illinois. |
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122. Brandt Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus). L. 35; T. 6. Chin and sides of throat buffy white or brownish. Ads. Above blue black, faintly margined with black; below green black. Breeding plumage. With white, hair-like plumes from back and neck; no white on flanks; throat pouch blue. Yng. Above dark brown; throat and belly whitish; breast and sides brown. Range.—Pacific coast from Cape St. Lucas to Washington; resident. 123. Pelagic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pelagicus). L. 28; W. 10; T. 6.2. Forehead feathered; back feathers not margined. Ads. Above glossy green and purplish black; below bottle green. Breeding plumage. With white plumes on neck and rump and white patches on flanks; nape and forehead, crested. Yng. Above greenish dusky brown, less green below. Range.—"Aleutian and Kuril Islands, and Kamchatka, south to Japan." (A. O. U.) 123a. Violet-green Cormorant (P. p. robustus). Similar to No. 123, but larger; bill stouter, W. 10.8. Range.—"Coast of Alaska, from Norton Sound south to Washington." (A. O. U.) 123b. Baird Cormorant (P. p. resplendens). Similar to No. 123, but smaller; bill slenderer; W. 9.5. Notes. A croaking, guttural note. Range.—Pacific coast from Washington south to Mazatlan, Mexico. 124. Red-faced Cormorant (Phalacrocorax urile). L. 34. Forehead as well as lores bare. Ads. Above green and purple; head and neck blue black; belly green. Breeding plumage. With forehead and nape crests and white patches on flanks. Notes. "A low, droning croak." (Nelson.) Range.—"Pribilof, Aleutian, and Kuril Islands, and coast of Kamchatka. South in winter to northern Japan." (A. O. U.) |
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118. Anhinga; Snakebird; Water Turkey (Anhinga anhinga). L. 36. Ad. ♂. Black; grayish head and neck plumes which, in winter, are absent. Ad. ♀. Resembles male but whole head, neck, and breast brownish. Yng. Similar to ♀ but black parts duller. Notes. A rasping, clattering croak, uttered when fighting or in coming to the nest. Range.—Tropical and subtropical America; breeds north to southern Illinois and South Carolina; winters from Gulf States southward. 125. American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos). L. 60. Ads. White; primaries black; bill in breeding season with a knob. Yng. With crown brownish. Range:—North America; breeds in interior from eastern California, Utah, Yellowstone Park, Minnesota (?) northward to Lat. 61°; winters from Gulf States and southern California, south to Central America. 126. Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis). L. 50; W. 19.5. Ads. Pouch greenish; head white, rarely yellowish; neck brown. In fall, no brown on neck. Yng. Brownish gray, white below. Notes. Adults as a rule silent; young before flying, very noisy. Range:—Atlantic and Gulf coast of tropical and subtropical America; breeds from northern South America to South Carolina; has strayed to Illinois and Nova Scotia; winters from Gulf States southward. 127. California Brown Pelican (Pelecanus californicus). Similar to No. 126, but larger. L. 54; W. 21; pouch in breeding season, red. Range.—Pacific coast from Galapagos north to British Columbia; breeds north only to Los Coronados Islands. 128. Man-o'-War Bird; Frigate Bird (Fregata aquila). L. 40. Ad. ♂. Black, glossy above; pouch "scarlet or orange." Ad. ♀. Browner; breast and belly white. Yng. Similar to ♀, but head and neck white. Notes. Usually silent; rarely a croaking note. Range:—Tropical and subtropical coasts; in America north to Florida, Texas, and southern California; casually to Kansas, Ohio and Nova Scotia; winters from southern Florida and Lower California southward. |
| Family 1. | DUCKS, GEESE, and SWANS. | Anatidæ. | 49 species, 6 subspecies. |
The Anatidæ of North America are placed in five well-marked subfamilies, the Mergansers (Merginæ), River Ducks (Anatinæ), Sea Ducks (Fuligulinæ), Geese (Anserinæ), and Swans (Cygninæ).
The Mergansers, Saw-bills, or Shelldrakes are fish-eating Ducks and their rounded bills, set with tooth-like projections along the sides, are of evident use to them in holding their prey.
The River Ducks include such well-known species as the Mallard, Black Duck, and Widgeon. They differ from the Bay or Sea Ducks in not having a well-developed web or flap on the hind-toe. As a rule they feed in shallow water by tipping, standing on their heads, as it were, while reaching the bottom for food.
The Bay or Sea Ducks have the hind-toe webbed. They feed, as a rule, in deeper water than the River Ducks, sometimes descending to the bottom in water over one hundred feet deep. During the winter they gather in flocks often of several thousand individuals, and frequent the larger bodies of water.
With both the River and Bay Ducks the sides of the broad, flat bill are set with gutters which serve as strainers, retaining the mollusks, seeds and roots of aquatic plants on which these Ducks feed, while the mud or water taken in with the food is forced out the sides of the bill as it closes.
Geese are more terrestrial than Ducks and often visit the land to nip the grass. This is particularly true in the west where large flocks of, Geese, especially Snow Geese, may be seen feeding on the prairies. On the water they feed over shallows by tipping and probing the bottoms.
Swans also feed from the surface of the water either by simply immersing the head and neck or by half submerging the body, when, with the tail pointed to the zenith, the length of their reach is greatly increased.
In spite of their comparatively short wings the large muscles attached to them give to the Anatidæ great power of flight. Not only do they make extended journeys, when migrating, without a rest, but they attain a speed which is surpassed by but few birds. Some of the smaller species, when alarmed, doubtless flying at the rate of one hundred miles an hour.
In common with other diving water birds the Ducks, when molting, lose most of their wing feathers all at once, and for a time are therefore unable to fly. During this comparatively helpless period the brightly colored males assume in part the plumage of the females and are thereby rendered less conspicuous. With the return of the power of flight, however, they regain their distinctive, male plumage, which is usually brighter than that of the female. With our Geese and Swans there is no sexual difference in color.
Most of our Ducks and Geese breed in the north, some within the Arctic Circle, and winter from the southern limit of frozen water southward. The American Merganser, Hooded Merganser, Wood Duck, Buffle-head, Golden-Eyes, Tree Ducks, and possibly Harlequin Duck nest in hollow trees, at times some distance from the water. The young of the American Golden-eye and of the Wood Duck have been seen to reach the water by jumping from the nest-hole and fluttering down in response to the calls of the parent below. It is said that they are also brought down in the bill of the old bird, but this statement apparently lacks confirmation.
The remaining species of our Ducks, Geese, and Swans, nest as a rule, on the ground generally near water. From five to fifteen and, in the case of the Fulvous Tree Duck, possibly as many as thirty eggs are laid. In color they vary from white to buffy and pale olive and are always uniformly colored. Incubation is performed by the female alone. The males at this period among most Ducks deserting their mate to undergo the partial molt before mentioned. While incubating the females surround their nest with soft down plucked from their bodies and when leaving the nest to feed, this down is drawn over the eggs with the double object, doubtless, of concealing them and of keeping them warm.
With Eider Ducks this down constitutes the larger part of, if not the entire nest. Saunders states that in Iceland the down in each nest weighs about one-sixth of a pound. This is gathered by the natives, who, however, are careful to afford the sitting bird an opportunity to raise her brood without further molestation.
The collection of Eider down thus furnishes an admirable illustration of proper economic relations between man and birds. The down is an important source of income to the natives of the comparatively barren, northern countries in which the Eiders nest. So long as man can remember it has been gathered annually. Still the Ducks continue to return in numbers year after year to the same region, perhaps the exact spot in which they nested the year before.
Less intelligent methods would perhaps rob the bird of its second, as well as of its first nest and, unable to reproduce its kind, the species would become extinct within a comparatively short period.
The evils which would follow such a course are, however, thoroughly understood. The Ducks, in the first place, are encouraged in every way. It is said that should one walk into a peasant's cabin and preempt his cot as a nesting-site, the peasant would gladly give up his bed to so valuable a visitor.
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129. American Merganser (Merganser americanus). L. 25; B. from nostril, 1.5; nostril midway between eye and tip of bill. Ad. ♂. No band of streaks on breast; no crest. Ad. ♀. and Yng. Chin white; crown and throat reddish brown; rest of underparts and speculum white; above and tail ashy. Range.—North America; breeds from New Brunswick, rarely mountains of Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and mountains of Colorado and California northward; winters from Maine and British Columbia south to South Carolina and southern California. 130. Red-breasted Merganser (Merganser serrator). L. 22; B. from nostril, 1.8; nostril nearer to eye than to tip of bill. Ad. ♂. Breast with a broad cinnamon band streaked with black; head feathers lengthened. Ad. ♀ and Yng. Crown grayish brown, washed with rusty. Chin and throat paler; rest of underparts and speculum white: back and tail ashy. Notes. When alarmed, several low, guttural croaks. (Elliot.) Range.—Northern hemisphere; breeds, in America, from New Brunswick and northern Illinois north to Greenland and Alaska; winters from southern breeding limits, south to Cuba and Lower California. 131. Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus). L. 17.5. Ad. ♂. A large, circular black and white crest. Ad. ♀ Yng. A small cinnamon crest, head, neck and breast grayish brown; back, blackish; belly white. Notes. "A hoarse croak, like a small edition of that of the Red-breasted Merganser." (Elliot.) Range.—North America from Cuba and Lower California north to Labrador and Alaska; breeds locally throughout its range, chiefly in interior of British America; winters from British Columbia, Illinois, and Massachusetts southward. 132. Mallard (Anas boschas). L. 23. Speculum (patch in wing) purple bordered by black and white; under surface of wing pure white. Ad. ♂. Head green; breast chestnut, a white neck-ring. Ad. ♀. Above blackish and buffy, below rusty buff mottled with dusky grayish brown. Notes. The familiar quack of the barn-yard Duck. Range.—Northern hemisphere; breeds, in America, from Labrador, Indiana, Iowa, and California north to Greenland and Alaska; winters from British Columbia, Kansas, and New Jersey to Central America and West Indies. 143. Pintail (Dafila acuta). L. ♂, 28; ♀, 22. Ad. ♂. Central tail feathers black, 7.5 long, pointed. Ad. ♀. Tail 3.5,; feathers sharply pointed; brownish black, with buff bars; under wing-coverts dusky and buff; back blackish with internal buff loops. Notes. A loud quack, less sonorous than that of the Mallard; a low mellow whistle, and a harsh rolling note. (Nelson.) Range.—Northern hemisphere; breeds, in America, from New Brunswick, Iowa, Illinois, and British Columbia northward; winters from British Columbia, Illinois, and Virginia, south to Central America and West Indies. |
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133. Black Duck (Anas obscura). L. 22. Ads. Speculum bluish purple tipped with black; no white in wing; lining of wing white and dusky; crown without paler margins; throat, usually, without markings; legs "olivaceous brown," bill "greenish black, dusky olive, or olive-green." Notes. A quack resembling that of the Mallard. Range.—Eastern North America; chiefly east of Mississippi; breeds locally from New Jersey and Illinois north to Labrador and Hudson Bay; winters from Maine to West Indies. 133a. Red-legged Black Duck (A. o. rubripes). Similar to No. 133 but larger; crown edged with buff or gray; throat spotted; legs red; bill yellow. Range.—Summer range not definitely known, but breeding specimens have been taken in northern Labrador, James Bay, and west shore of Hudson Bay; in winter south to Virginia and Arkansas. 134. Florida Duck (Anas fulvigula). L. 20. Ads. Throat and front of neck plain buff, usually unmarked; speculum sometimes tipped with white; belly rusty buff; broadly streaked with black. Notes. A quack similar to that of No. 133. Range.—Florida to coast of Louisiana; resident. 134a. Mottled Duck (A. f. maculosa). Similar to No. 134, but underparts mottled with black, the markings being rounder. Range.—Eastern Texas; breeds (at least) from Corpus Christi north to Kansas; winters on west Gulf Coast. 135. Gadwall (Chaulelasmus streperus), L. 19.5. Under wing coverts and axillars pure white. Ad. ♂. Wing-coverts chestnut; breast ringed with white. Ad. ♀. Head and throat as in ♂, back fuscous and buffy; breast and sides ochraceous thickly spotted with blackish; speculum ashy gray and white. Notes. A quack like that of the Mallard but shriller and more often repeated. Range.—Northern hemisphere; in America, breeds in the interior from Kansas and California north to Manitoba and Assiniboia; winters from Maryland to Florida, rare in northeastern Atlantic States. 136. Widgeon (Mareca penelope). L. 18.5. Ad. ♂. Head and neck reddish brown; crown buff; sides with wavy black and white lines. Ad. ♀. Head and throat rusty, finely streaked and barred with black; breast and sides rusty; speculum blackish. Notes. Of male, a shrill, whistling whee-you; of female, a low, purring growl. (Saunders.) Range.—Northern hemisphere; breeds in America, only in the Aleutian Islands; casual in migrations and in winter in California and on Atlantic coast from North Carolina to Greenland. 137. Baldpate (Mareca americana). L. 19. No rusty on head. Ad. ♂. Under tail-coverts black; streak from eye to nape glossy green. Ad. ♀. Head and throat whitish finely marked with black; breast and sides rusty washed with grayish. Notes. "A low, soft whistle." (Elliot.) Range.—North America; breeds in the interior from Minnesota and British Columbia north to Alaska; winters from British Columbia and Virginia south to South America; only a migrant on northeast Atlantic coast to Labrador. |
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139. Green-winged Teal (Nettion carolinensis). L. 14.5. Wing-coverts gray, tipped with buff or white. Ad. ♂. A white crescent in front of wing; speculum (wing-patch) green bordered by black tipped with white. Ad. ♀. Wings as in ♂; throat and sides of neck white, finely spotted with black; breast and sides washed with rusty, marked with black. Notes. A "peculiar chirping almost a twittering" as they fly. (Seton.) Range.—North America; breeds from New Brunswick, Minnesota, and British Columbia north to Greenland and Alaska; winters from Virginia, Kansas, and British Columbia south to Central America and West Indies. 140. Blue-winged Teal (Querquedula discors). Wing-coverts blue. Ad. ♂. Cheek patch white. Ad. ♀. Resembles ♀ of No. 139, but wing-coverts blue; speculum greenish brown not distinctly tipped with white. L. 16. Range.—North America; chiefly east of Rockies; breeds from New Brunswick, Kansas, southern Illinois and northern Ohio, north to Alaska, mainly in interior; winters from Virginia and Lower Mississippi Valley to northern South America, California, and Lower California. 141. Cinnamon Teal (Querquedula cyanoptera). Ad. ♂. Head and neck, breast and sides reddish brown. Ad. ♀. Resembles ♀ of No. 140, but the underparts, including throat, are usually suffused with rusty; the throat often being blackish or speckled with dusky. Notes. A rather thin, nasal quack. L. 16. Range.—Western North America from British Columbia south to South America, east to Rockies and south Texas; rarely to Florida. 142. Shoveller (Spatula clypeata). L. 20. Bill much broader at tip than at base. Ad. ♂. Belly chestnut; breast around to back white. Ad. ♀. Wing-coverts blue; back conspicuously margined with buff. Notes. "Occasionally a few feeble quacks." (Elliot.) Range.—Northern hemisphere; in America chiefly in interior; breeds locally from Texas, and regularly from Minnesota and British Columbia north to Alaska and Barren Grounds; winters from British Columbia, Illinois, and Maryland south to northern South America. 144. Wood Duck (Aix sponsa). L. 18.5. Ad. ♂. Head crested; green, blue, and purple with white stripes. Ad. ♀. A white streak through and behind eye; crown glossy purplish brown; back olive-brown glossed with greenish. Notes. A frightened, plaintive, oo-eek. Range.—North America; breeds locally from Florida to Labrador and British Columbia, winters from British Columbia, southern Illinois, and southern New Jersey, south to southern California and Cuba. |
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146. Redhead (Aythya americana). L. 19. Ad. ♂. Head and upper neck entirely bright reddish brown. Ad. ♀. Throat white; back grayish brown without fine bars; speculum gray. Notes. "A hoarse guttural rolling sound." (Elliot.) Range.—North America; breeds chiefly in interior from Maine, Minnesota, and California north to Labrador and British Columbia; winters from British Columbia and Maryland south to Lower California and West Indies. 147. Canvas-back (Aythya vallisneria). L. 21. Ad. ♂. Head and whole neck dull reddish brown. Ad. ♀. Head and neck rusty grayish brown; back grayish brown, finely barred with black and white. Notes. "A harsh guttural croak." (Elliot.) Range.—North America; breeds only in interior from Minnesota and Oregon north to Alaska and the Barren Grounds; winters from British Columbia and Maryland south to southern California, Mexico and West Indies. 148. American Scaup Duck (Aythya marila). L. ♂, 18.5; ♀, 17.5. Ad. ♂. Head glossed with greenish; sides without distinct black bars. Ad. ♀. Feathers about base of bill white; breast and back rusty grayish brown; speculum white. Notes. "Similar to the guttural sound made by the Canvas-back, Redhead and other diving Ducks." (Elliot.) Range.—Northern parts of northern hemisphere; in America, breeds in the interior rarely from Minnesota, and regularly from North Dakota northward; winters from Long Island to northern South America. 149. Lesser Scaup Duck (Aythya affinis). L. ♂ 17; ♀, 16.5. Ad. ♂. Head glossed with purplish; sides with distinct black bars. Ad. ♀. Similar to ♀ of No. 148, but smaller. Range.—North America; breeds only in interior from Iowa rarely, North Dakota commonly, and British Columbia, north to Barren Grounds; winters from British Columbia and Virginia south to Guatemala and West Indies. 150. Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris). L. 16.5. Ad. ♂. A chestnut neck-ring; chin white; back black; speculum gray. Ad. ♀. Feathers about sides of base of bill and throat white, back and breast rusty grayish brown; speculum gray. Resembles ♀ of No. 146, but is smaller and rustier. Range.—North America: breeding only in the interior from Minnesota northward; winters from Maryland and British Columbia south to Guatemala and West Indies; rare on Atlantic coast north of Maryland. |
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151. American Golden-eye (Clangula clangula americana). L. 20. Ad. ♂. Head greenish; white patch at base of bill circular. Ad. ♀. Head and throat brown; breast and back gray, a white throat-ring; belly and speculum white. Notes. Rarely a low croak; a high whistling sound produced by wings in flight. Range.—North America; breeds from Maine, northern Minnesota, and Alberta, north to Arctic Regions; winters from southern Alaska, the Great Lakes and Maine, south to Mexico and Cuba. 152. Barrow Golden-eye (Clangula islandica). L. 20. Ad. ♂. Head purplish blue; white patch at base of bill twice as high as wide. Ad. ♀. Resembles ♀ of No. 151. Notes. A high whistling made by wings in flight, probably also a low croaking as in No. 151. Range.—Northern North America; breeds from Gulf of St. Lawrence, and mountains of Colorado north to southern Greenland; winters south to Virginia, Illinois, and California. 153. Buffle-head (Charitonetta albeola). L. 14.7. Ad. ♂. Head blue, purple, and green; a white band from eye to eye across nape. Ad. ♀. A whitish patch on either side of head; throat and upper parts grayish brown; belly and speculum white. Notes. A single guttural note like a small edition of the Canvas-back's roll. (Elliot.) Range.—North America; breeds from Maine, Iowa, and British Columbia northward; winters from southern limit of breeding range to West Indies and Mexico. 167. Ruddy Duck (Erismatura jamaicensis). L. 15. Tail-feathers narrow and stiff; bill short (1.5) and broad. Ad. ♂. Cheeks white, cap black, back reddish brown. Ad. ♀. A whitish streak through dusky cheeks; back grayish brown with fine buffy bars; belly silvery whitish. Yng. ♂. Similar, but cheeks all white or whitish. Range.—Western hemisphere from northern South America to Hudson Bay; breeds locally throughout its range, but chiefly northward; winters from New Jersey, southern Illinois and California southward. 168. Masked Duck (Nomonyx dominicus). L. 14. Tail-feathers long, (4.5) narrow, stiff and pointed. Ad. ♂. Front of head black; behind it reddish brown all around; white in wing. Ad. ♀. A brownish streak through eye: buffy streaks above and below it; back blackish regularly barred with buff; below washed with rusty. Range—Tropical America north to Lower Rio Grande; accidental in Wisconsin, Lake Champlain, and Massachusetts. |
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154. Old-squaw (Harelda hyemalis). L. ♂, 21; ♀, 16; T. ♂, 8; ♀, 2.5. No colored speculum. Ad. ♂. Central tail-feathers much lengthened; in winter, crown, nape, throat, and neck all around white. In summer, black, with rusty markings on back. Ad. ♀. winter. Cheeks, neck all around, and underparts white; breast and sides of neck dusky. In summer, crown, cheeks and nape blackish, throat and breast dusky; a whitish patch back of eye. Notes. In spring, a rich, musical a-leedle-a, frequently repeated in deep, reed-like tones. (Nelson.) Also "o-onc-o-onc-ough-egh-ough-egh." (Mackay.) Range.—Northern hemisphere; breeds from northern Labrador and Aleutian Islands north to Arctic Ocean; winters south to Virginia, Upper Mississippi Valley, and California, "rarely to Florida and Texas." 155. Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus). L. 17. Ad. ♂. Back and breast slaty blue; head darker. Ad. ♀. Front half of cheeks and spot over ears whitish, above blackish brown; below dusky and whitish. Notes. "A confusion of low gabbling and chattering notes." (Nelson.) Range.—"Northern North America, breeding from Newfoundland, the northern Rocky Mountains, and the Sierra Nevadas (latitude 38°), northward; south in winter to the Middle States and California; eastern Asia, Iceland." (A. O. U.) 156. Labrador Duck (Camptolaimus labradorius). L. 20. Ad. ♂. Primaries blackish; rest of wing white. Ad. ♀. Ashy gray: speculum white. Yng. ♂. Like ♀ but throat and ends of greater wing-coverts white. Range.—Formerly North Atlantic coast; bred from Labrador northward; wintered south to New Jersey; believed to be extinct; last records, Grand Menan, New Brunswick, 1871; Long Island, 1875. 157. Steller Eider (Eniconetta stelleri). L. 18. Ad. ♂. Throat and neck black nearly divided by a white ring; top and sides of head white, forehead and nape greenish; breast chestnut. Ad. ♀. Above and below black and rusty, speculum purple bordered with white; tail feathers pointed. Range.—"Arctic and subarctic coasts of the northern hemisphere, Aleutian Islands, east to Unalaska and Kadiak; Kenai Peninsula." (A. O. U.) |
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158. Spectacled Eider (Arctonetta fischeri). L. 21. Ad. ♂. Front of head plush-like; cushiony pads around eyes; above largely white; breast slaty black; belly black. Range.—"Alaskan coast of Bering Sea and north to Point Barrow." (A. O. U.) 159. Greenland Eider (Somateria mollissima borealis). L. 23. Feathers on sides of bill reaching to nostrils, bare spaces on either side of feathers on culmen pointed at base (posteriorly.) Ad. ♂. Crown black with a white wedge. Ad. ♀. Brownish black above margined with rusty and buff; below dusky finely margined with buff. Yng. ♂. Similar to ♀ but more buffy. Notes. "A sort of cooing sound" in the breeding season. (Elliot.) A raucous, moaning, 'ha ho, 'ha ho; female's like that of Mallard. (Brunnich.) Range.—Northeastern North America; breeds from Labrador to Greenland; winters south to Massachusetts. 160. American Eider (Somateria dresseri). L. 23. Similar in color to No. 159, but bare spaces on either side of feathers of culmen rounded at the base (posteriorly). Range.—Northeastern North America; breeds from Isle au Haut, Maine, to Labrador; winters south to New Jersey and Great Lakes. 161. Pacific Eider (Somateria v-nigra). Similar to No. 159, but Ad. ♂ with a black V on throat; sides of bill more broadly feathered, distance from end of feathers to base of bare space on culmen less than distance from same place to end of bill. Notes. "A low guttural note." (Nelson.) Range.—North Pacific from Aleutian Islands north to Arctic Ocean east to Great Slave Lake. 162. King Eider (Somateria spectabilis). L. 23. Feathers at side of bill not reaching nostril. Ad. ♂. White patch on either side of rump, crown ashy blue. Ad. ♀ in 1 Yng. Resembling same plumages of No. 159 and No. 160. Range.—Northern hemisphere; breeds from Labrador and St. Michaels, Alaska north to Greenland and Arctic Ocean; winters south to New Jersey (rarely Ga.), and Great Lakes; one California record. |
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163. American Scoter (Oidemia americana). L. 19. Feathers at base of bill not extending forward on sides or top. Ad. ♂. Wholly black; bill black, yellow at base. Ad. ♀. Brownish above, lighter below; no white on wing or on sides of head. Notes. A long musical whistle. (Elliot.) Range.—Northern North America; breeds from Labrador and Alaskan shores of Bering Sea northward; winters south to Virginia, Great Lakes, Colorado, and California. 166. Surf Scoter (Oidemia perspicillata). L. 20. Feathers extending forward on top of bill. Ad. ♂. Black, nape and crown white; bill orange, yellow, and white, a round black patch on its sides. Ad. ♀. Above black, throat and breast paler; belly whitish; a whitish patch at base of bill. Yng. Similar but with white patches on ears. Range.—Northern North America; breeds from Newfoundland northward; winters south to Virginia, Florida, Illinois, and Lower California. 165. White-winged Scoter (Oidemia deglandi). L. 22. A white patch on wing; feathers extending forward along sides and top of bill nearly to nostrils. Ad. ♂. Black, a white spot about eye; bill orange, black at base. Ad. ♀. Dusky brown above; lighter below. Yng. ♂. Similar but sides and front of head whitish. Range.—Northern North America; breeds from Labrador and North Dakota northward; winters south to Virginia, southern Illinois, and Lower California. 177. Black-bellied Tree Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis). L. 22. Ads. belly and tail coverts black: foreback and breast gray; greater wing-coverts whitish. Notes. A shrill whistle. (Elliot.) Range.—Tropical America north to southern Texas. 178. Fulvous Tree Duck (Dendrocygna fulva). L. 22. Ads. Belly uniform rusty brown; upper tail coverts white; a black streak on hindneck; no white in wing. Notes. A squealing whistle. Range.—Tropical America, north in summer to Texas, Louisiana, Nevada and central California. "Casual in North Carolina and Missouri." (A. O. U.) |